Baltimore Expo Experience, plus The Book

It has been a busy weekend. I am just back from the Baltimore Expo.
   The slabs are out in force. Even so-called "collector coins" were slabbed: VFs, XFs, and so on. So sad, so sad. I hate to think that the cool touch of metal is lost on so many new collectors. Even early copper in mid-range grades were slabbed. I can understand MS and AU slabbing. So, too, I can appreciate the need to slab the very rare ones --  particularly to assure authenticity and to protect from grubby hands.
   I took advantage of this, as I was able to examine (in a slab) a Sommer Islands sixpence, a Higley copper, and a pristine Massachusetts shilling. Up close and personal. I had grubby hands stained with crab cakes, so the slabs were needed. A fat wallet with 90K was needed for any one of the three pieces. The dealer was very nice and shared info about each piece.
   Now for some general observations. The dealers with rare and historic items were causally dressed; neat and tidy with flannel or polo wear. The dealers touting row after row of shiny Morgans -- some oven-cooked to produce wild blue and yellow tones (the blue is the give-away) -- tended to be sharply dressed in cheap suits -- perhaps their power ties made up for the ho-hum merchandise. Now the auction guys always dress up, but the supervisors pacing behind them typically have their ties off.
   I did not see any healthy eating at the show -- me included. The only food was the heart-attack cafe located just outside the bourse entrance. Of note, the youthful (under 40) ancient coins dealers seemed to represent the healthiest subgroup -- I even saw one eating a salad.
   As for the coins. Most of the good stuff -- not counting the colorful Morgans or the few very rare colonials -- goes to auction. Still, some nice collector pieces were available for the sleuth. For myself, I found very few Old Sails. There are more jetons on EBay than at the show. However, the Jamestown collector who is just starting out could fine a few nice pieces at the Expo. As for Spanish colonial cobs, these were available (ship-wrecked or not), but again, the nice eight reales only show up in the auctions.
   For those few who like relics, the pickings were also slim. Surprised? Don't be. Many dealers do not bring grounders. I think that they are afraid of them. You can find a silvery (read: harshly cleaned) trime or piss-yellow (read: harshly cleaned) large cent, BUT no relics.
   Corrosion is scary. I shudder to imagine what would happen if I were to drop a cent caked with verdigris on the bourse floor and yell: "Corrosion!" I think folks would take cover, or even run out of the building!

You can order this book from Books123.org.
It is a weekend read that will expand your views on relics.

   With all this being said, I did see a very nice set of holed coins from early America. Square nail holes marked these pieces as talismans or house/barn votives. One of them was a silver Mass threepence, another was an eighteenth century quarter eagle. Very Cool. He enjoys a history of human ritual. By the way, this dealer wore a flannel shirt with shoulder length hair.

   I think folks would appreciate some of these historic relics if they underwent some exposure therapy. First, some desensitization with the fingertips: touch the corrosion, touch the corrosion; then, some appreciation of what coins dug from historic sites look like and how cool they are.
   Well, this is a good opportunity to remind you of my book: Lost Cents, Dead Owners. It is now out there, so if you want to read something different and evocative, then this is it. Tired of coin valuation lists, tired of die varieties (well, that was a cheap shot, as I like die varieties too), but anyway, tired of the same-old, same old, then check out LCDO.

Piece of Eight 1652 Pendant

One of my favorite coins has a hole in it.
   I like that it has a hole in it. Someone found beauty in this coin and decided to wear it. The piece is sharply struck and full of details. It is smoothly worn, as if fingers fondled it while it hung from the neck. A coin like this -- broad, thick, all silver -- must have felt reassuring.
   This piece of eight was only minted for a short time -- a few months at best. It was produced in early 1652 at the Potosi mint, high up in the Andes in what is now Bolivia. During this year, a number of design changes were made in order to add as much information on the coin itself and to find the right aesthetic balance in doing so.
   For years before, there was malfeasance at the mint: debased and under-weight coins were the norm in the 1640s. Consequently, the officials charged with cleaning up the mint wanted to redesign the coins so that it was clear who the mint assayer was and when the coins were made. At the Potosi, the 1652 coins were at the center of what was to be called: "the great transition."
   This transition included arresting several mint officials. Some were jailed; as least two were executed. The coins were redesigned to depict the old pillar-and-waves motif that was first used in Mexico in 1536. Above the waves on this coin, the denomination "8" and assayer "E" was placed twice. The  motto "plus ultra" was added across the middle with the king's initial "F" for Phillip IIII in the top line. The date "ANO 1652" was placed within the inner rim of dots (a bit double-struck on this specimen). Yes, lots of data!

Eight Reales dated 1652. Holed and Loved.
And Loved still.

   This coin is known as a Type IV coin (there were eight types in all -- with many variations). It took until 2015 for all these types and subtypes to be cataloged by Robert Mastalir Divisek. His research shows that this coin is of the most common types with at least 118 known (he has pictured over 100 of them from auction records). As such, this coin is a rare one. But fortunately, the demand is low. Everyone wants Morgan dollars instead -- good!
   This particular coin was attractive enough to be worn. I doubt that it circulated much. Typically, the smaller fractional pieces were used for day to day transactions. A big piece like this must of felt good in the hand -- after all, it was about two weeks pay for most laborers.
   Most of the big eights like this one were shipped back to Spain; hence, the bulk of them come from shipwrecks. RMD has noted that two-thirds of all Type IV transitional eights come from sunken ships -- most from the Capitana that sunk in 1654. As such, this coin is a rare land-find. Still, it might look vaguely familiar to you: it is the plate coin in the Krause-Mishler catalogs.
   I wonder how long it was worn? And where? Did a Spanish official have it around his neck? Maybe a mine owner, or silver broker. Or, perhaps one of their wives. I suppose a mariner could have holed it? Hmmm, maybe it was on a galleon after all! It was not recorded as such.
   Of course, we can never know for sure. But what we do know is that it was singled out, holed, and worn in one way or another. This heavy piece is too big to be pinned inside a coat for use as money. No, it was no longer valued as money, but as a pendant of some sort.
   Yes, I like the hole. I like that this coin was always special to someone.
   Maybe I should wear it.

Loving the Unloved: Massachusetts Cent Pendant or Tool?

A pendant is a charm that can be worn, usually about the neck. In colonial times, coins were often fashioned into pendants. The quickest way: drill a hole and wear it.
   Today I want to share such a piece -- or at consider that this lowly cent was elevated to such a purpose.
   Here we have a Massachusetts cent from 1787 or 1788. It was drilled twice. A bold round hole was placed at the tail of the eagle (reverse) -- it was neatly located. The hole is smoothed and shows evidence of friction along the edges. There is some mild rim damage that suggests that the coin hung on a ring or chain.

Massachusetts cent, holed and worn smooth.

   A second hole, smaller but also neatly placed, was located at the opposite rim. It, too, has been there a while, but it is not has worn and still shows some raised metal from the punch.
   The precise placement of holes suggests that it was not randomly punched to be used as flange, cap, or mechanical use. It could have been used as a keyhole cover; then flipped and used again. Maybe.
   Could the cent have been used as a toy? Unlikely: tops and whizzers typically had two holes placed close together. Still, I'll give it another Maybe.
   Here's another guess. It could have been placed on a key chain to make carrying several keys easier. This is the inspiration for the photo. I give this one a big Maybe.
   Was the cent used twice as a pendant? This use is the most interesting possibility. Copper is certainly amulet or talisman material. Keep in mind that amulets are used for protection, whereas talisman are used to bring some benefit. Coins as pendants were commonplace in the eighteenth century.
   Also, then as now, coins were worn for medicinal purposes: everything from King's touch tokens to holed cents made by "wise" women. I know some elderly folks who wear copper to soothe their aching bones even today.
   Superstitions were prominent in early America. Often a penny would be nailed under the threshold of the front door to keep evil spirits out. Also, a penny nailed to a rafter could bring good fortune (good "speed" as they would say) to a family living there. These pieces are usually found in rough condition.
   In any case, this old Massachusetts cent is a curious item. It has a history of secondary use that lasted for decades. It appears to have been touched and rubbed many times, as the copper is worn smooth on both sides -- perhaps it became a pocket piece for awhile, or it was just fondled while hanging about the neck, or it was a key chain fob that witnessed much locking and unlocking.
   Either way, I believe my title is a misnomer. It was not unloved; it was loved. And I love it now.
 
 

Old Sails: Suffering the Winds

Some of the best ships can be found on Jetons.
   After the popularity of the counting board faded in the late 1500s, jetons morphed into propaganda pieces, souvenirs, and remuneration tokens. It was a clever move for the mint masters. As a result, some beautiful ships were launched.
   One of my favorite jetons is this softly worn piece dabbed with a reddish patina. It is made of brassy alloy common to the era. It was probably a pocket piece for several decades before being set aside and passed between collectors. I like to imagine the various owners who contemplated the ship -- perhaps wondering what it was like on the open seas, wondering where this particular ship was going, wondering about the New World. After all, the piece is nearly 400 years old!
   The ship style is familiar to jeton collectors, as the accentuated curve of the midships coupled with the stacked stern castle and bold, somewhat pointed, fore deck is characteristic of many French ship jetons of the era. The curved hull planking, bold with nails, is also of this style. The billowing sails complete the signature. The same artist likely did them all. A very similar ship can be seen on some Cardinal Richelieu pieces.

French Jeton from Dijon with caravel pitted against
winds blowing in both directions. The banner assures
the lone mariner that this ship is protected.

   I would classify the vessel as a caravel -- it has the classic U-shape. We are treated to port view, sailing away from us so that the stern rudder is clear. The sea is choppy and strong winds blow from both directions -- port and starboard. The clouds are personified with lips blowing. Of note, the sole mariner has a large presence and is clearly out of scale -- perhaps to show how alone a sailor can be in the sea and at the mercy of the winds.
   My interpretation of this is swayed by the legend which reads: TVRBANT. SED. EXTOLLVNT. The Vs are actually Us. The words (in Latin) translate to: "They agitate it, and they raise it." I checked the translation in French which was similar: "Distracting, but lifting." These phrases refer to the winds. Blowing one way and then another, we suffer them, and we depend on them. The phrase is biblical and comes from Job 30:22.
   The large banner, artfully weaved into the scene reads: HOC. SIDERBTVTVS. This one puzzles me. It translates to: "This (ship? Sea?) is safe or protected." Maybe it means that with faith, we are protected. I am not totally sure about this. And, I do not know if the sole sailor has a specific identity. Perhaps you have an opinion?
   Nonetheless, this jeton is a wonderful addition for the ship collector. It is the perfect period piece for the necromancer!